Xigmatek Dark Knight SD1283 and Loki SD963 Review

Introduction:

This past February I had the opportunity to review my first cooler from Xigmatek — the Prime SD1484. This heatsink was your typical direct contact heatpipe tower-style cooler. It performed well in its class and shared good results for comparison. Today I will be taking a look of a pair of new coolers from Xigmatek — the Dark Knight SD1283 and the Loki SD963 heatsinks. The Dark Knight SD1283 Night Hawk Edition is as its name applies; it is ceramic, coated in black, and advertised to have a lower heat signature, explained by its coating's superior heat dissipation properties. The Loki SD963 is a more wallet-friendly cooler that offers direct-touch heatpipes, easy installation, and efficient performance. These coolers can be purchased for $50 and $20 respectively, so it's clear that these coolers are in different categories. At only $20, the Loki could crush the dollar/performance ratios of many $35-40 coolers if it can keep up. I'm excited to see how these do, so let's get started.

Closer Look:

These two coolers are packaged similarly. Both are in small cardboard boxes with a hanger flap on the top. The Dark Knight SD1283's box shows us a glimpse of the semi-transparent dark fan through the window. Each box has many pictures and explains features that each cooler offers. The back of each box contains a conclusive list of each cooler's specifications, including information such as the cooler's dimensions, weights, fan speed, etc. These will be shared on the Specifications & Features page.

Both boxes open the same way and expose the top of the cooler and some accessories. There are two pieces of Styrofoam just at the short sides of the Dark Knight SD1283 and plastic/Styrofoam-free with the Loki SD963. Included with the Dark Knight SD1283 is a set of rubber fan clips, mounting hardware, universal backplate, user's manual, and warranty information. The Loki SD963's accessory list is nearly identical, except there is not a universal backplate and comes with a separate plate for AMD and Intel CPUs.

The coolers themselves are far different in looks, price range, and expected performance. However, I'm still interested in how both of the coolers do!

Now that both coolers are out of their boxes and ready to go, let's take an up-close look of each cooler and their features.